Open Thread: What’s the worst intersection in Detroit?

Welcome to Friday Open Threads, wherein we'll pass the mic to readers to speak up about topics of interest, distress, horror, etc. Have something you want discussed? Let us know. This week’s topic: which intersections in Detroit need a makeover?

Detroit is a city of very big streets and often odd angles to the streets. (Detroit Urbanism explored this triangular subject). As we were out driving the other day, and the following day, we started thinking about a few intersections where a little planning could help a lot.

Here are two to think about.

The intersection of MLK, Grand River, and Trumbull. This is a downright mess. If you’re driving straight through on Trumbull, pay attention because you only have about 5 seconds to make it through the light. And don’t think about turning anywhere; you’re going to have to use a shortcut anyway.

East Vernor & Gratiot (throw in St. Aubin, too). A friend and I were driving down East Vernor on a weekday at 3:30 and were wondering why there was so much traffic. As we got closer to the light (finally), we realized the timing of the mass of streetlights was off, causing traffic backups way down East Vernor. It was a simple problem causing a lot of hassle.

By the way, we reported the problem on the Improve Detroit app. Do any of you use it? Have you seen results?

Which intersections in the city do you think are set up poorly? What kind of solution do you have for them? Let us know in the comments, and as always, if you have an idea for an open thread, drop us a note on the tip line.

Detroit Urbanism's Series on the Woodward Plan Shows Us What Could Have Been [Curbed Detroit]